The List

A few months ago, I spent a beautiful fall afternoon playing outside with my two-year-old niece, Caroline. After numerous rounds of “Ring Around the Rosie” left me dizzy and breathless on the ground, I decided to teach her a new game. I held out both arms and bolted across the yard in a zig-zag pattern – shouting “Look! I’m flying! I’m flying!” With the throaty laugh of a toddler, Caroline quickly followed suit. Her face lit up as we ran with our arms outstretched, relishing the crunch of the leaves under our feet. She was flying!

The best way to remember the joy of new experiences is through someone to whom almost everything is new. With the new year fast approaching, my resolution is to recapture the enthusiasm of a two-year-old. In 2013, I will try something new each week, for a total of (at least)fifty-two new experiences in one year.

This is not a novel idea. Type “52 new things” into Google and you will see that the internet is replete with similar blogs dedicated to documenting the first taste of an exotic dish, a dip in the Pacific Ocean, or amateur artwork painted with a wine glass in hand. Perhaps it is self-congratulatory to write about each new experience in a public forum; however, for the sake of accountability, I plan to do so. This blog has the added benefit of providing me with a creative outlet after a workweek spent reviewing documents and drafting legal memoranda!

Below is a list of 52 “new” things that will serve as my inspiration. I may add or remove items in order to adapt to the natural ebb and flow of the new year. I have tried to keep it simple; I may not climb a mountain or see the Eiffel Tower, but I hope to discover small joys and achieve some personal growth.To quote a beloved fictional character, Anne Shirley:

After all, I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.

– Anne of Avonlea (1909) by L.M. Montgomery

Now that the long-winded introduction is out of the way, the full list (in no particular order):

Lacey! You have inspired me. At 57, I see I still have much to learn and experience (for the first time). My list will start with looking up the meanings, locations, descriptions of many items from your list (hot yoga?). I never got to the cold version yet! Also, if not mistaken #10 would NOT be a first. We happily remember the cold winter storm camping trip the Middletons and Logsdons shared @ the racetrack in a January a “few” years back! Look forward to following you. You tell wonderful stories. By the way, YOU are a writer. New Yorkers tell it like it is. Happy New Year. Kiss sis, Mom and Dad for us. Gay and Michael

Interesting, I remember the winter racetrack trip … but didn’t the family bunk down in the van? I’ve been camping, but don’t think I’ve ever spent the night (in a sleeping bag) in the open air. Thanks for reading Gay and Happy New Year to you as well!

Lacey! Congratz on your goal to try 52 new things in 52 weeks. I am just completing my goal of this and it was the most rewarding year of my life. If you’re ever in the NYC area and want to meet up to try something new, please let me know.